Culture is a key element in sustainable development as it frames people’s relationships and attitudes

We see that more and more companies are making significant progress in addressing sustainability and more and more companies making partnership with the UN Global Compact office and support the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs. These actions are encouraging , and it is good to see more and more Norwegian companies that make sustainability a part of their corporate business model.

The performance of any company, that seeks to achieve SDGs, to a large extent depends on leadership. Effective leadership translates into prudent corporate policy formulation and implementation, as well as good Human resource management, to meet the needs and aspirations of the employees. Achieving the SDGs will require the concerted efforts of the public, the business sector, society, and individual citizens.

Sustainability is a business approach to creating long-term value by taking into consideration how a given organization operates in the ecological, social, and economic environment. Sustainability is built on the assumption that developing such strategies foster company longevity.

Sustainability focuses on meeting current human needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Traditionally, the sustainability paradigm encompasses the interactions between humans and the economic, social, and environmental aspects of living. I believe that one need to focus on culture to an even greater extent to success with achieving the SDGs. Because culture creates a holistic approach to sustainability. Cultural sustainability examines ways to enhance our cultural identity and sense of place through heritage, shared spaces, public art, social capital, educational opportunities, and public policies in ways that promote environmental, economic, and social sustainability. As the concept of sustainability continues to evolve, cultural sustainability needs even greater extent to be included in discussions that examine culture and its links to environmental, economic, and social dimensions of society.

Culture is linked to social programs that deal with poverty, equal rights, and civic engagement; and culture is linked to the environment with cultural capital to raise environmental awareness and responsibility. The focus on cultural Sustainability is important, due to its growing importance within social, political, environmental, and economic spheres.

Therefore, culture sustainable is important due to the growing impact of the built environment in achieving society’s sustainable development. Society faces environmental challenges, including climate change and urban population growth and responding to these interconnected challenges is at the centre of society’s concerns for its future. I believe that culture is a key element in sustainable development as it frames people’s relationships and attitudes towards the built and the natural environment. Sustainable development is an integral part of the society and culture, affecting all aspects of operations in the built environment.